Silent Screams
by Kitty Katana
Summary: COMPLETE The past has been haunting Kenshin, driving him to the edge of insanity and the killer within threatens to escape. Now, Kenshin not only fights himself, but a new enemy that has arisen, one endangering the one thing he loves most...
1. Scarlet Dreams

Silent Screams 

A FanFiction by Kitty Katana

Rurouni Kenshin

Summary: Something is driving Kenshin away from his friends and the Battousai won't miss the opportunity to gain control. But Battousai's not his only problem…

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams. And for Misty, ruler of Antarctica and Mistress of all penguins.

Disclaimer: Must I say it? I don't nor will I ever own Rurouni Kenshin. All aspects are property of their rightful owners. The song lyrics used are also copyright © their owners, their titles and singers are accredited to them below. All lyrics found on: www.leoslyrics.com

Notes: This is probably my most serious story yet, so if you're looking for humor, go elsewhere. This has been my release for the last five months, and as corny as it sounds, I put a piece of my soul into it. In short- you flame it and I WILL go insane… don't test me. I know Battousai may be a bit OOC and my views on some of the material are wrong and/or different than yours, but please be tolerant. I wish I'd been able to see a bit more of Battousai… I'd appreciate a review with your _positive_ thoughts.

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"Don't you sleep?/   
Don't you have /  
a single moment's peace?/   
Just walk through the darkness/   
With fears that are deep /  
And don't you even sleep?"/

-"The Curse" (Dwight Yoakam)

Scarlet Dreams

}{_Screaming._}{

}{_They were screaming. Their faces swam from out of the depths of hell, staring, accusing with unearthly cries. He covered his ears against the terrifying sound, tried to drown them out, but they seeped through. He tried to scream. No sound could escape his clenched throat. Crimson waves flooded the ground beneath him. An ocean of blood. It was all over his hands, creeping up his arms, devouring him. Their blood. The blood of those he had killed._}{

"Kenshin?"

Her voice was the hand that shattered the ice, brought him back to reality. He looked up, the color previously evaporated from his face returning, his breathing hard. As if seeing from outside his body, he watched not blood, but water drench the ground around him. He'd knocked over the wash, again. He put on a smile, a mask and calmed his breathing. Why worry her more?

"Are you……… All right, Kenshin?" She asked uncertainly.

He nodded, a bit overzealously. "Hai, Kaoru-dono, just doing the wash." He looked at the ground. Well, he _was_ doing the wash. Now clothing and soapy water littered the yard in front of the Kamiya dojo. She was staring at him strangely. Kenshin pushed his shaking hands out of her line of sight and moved to pick up the laundry. "Gomen, Sessha shall clean this up immediately." 

Gods, she was so beautiful. It was all he could do to keep himself from running over and holding her close to him and whispering to her the words he'd longed to say. He looked her over for a moment, her silken black hair, her angelic face, and every other thing about her that made him understand why men wrote poems, songs for such women. He finally pulled himself back to reality, returning to the wash.

She nodded slowly. 'What's been with him lately?' She wondered, walking inside the dojo. He was usually so alert, cheerful even, for the most part. Kenshin was drifting away. Certainly, he had not gone anywhere, but his thoughts wandered, and she feared why……… and what was to come. 'If he left again-' She didn't allow herself to complete the thought. She could already hear Yahiko practicing in the dojo.

Ayame and Suzume watched with their naïve smiles and childish giggling, and the sight brought a small smile to Kaoru's own face. Yahiko looked up at her, quietly dropping the bokken to his side. "Anything wrong, busu?" The normally thoughtful question was marred by his aversion to affection. She took no notice.

"Nothing." She answered, meeting the boy's almost surprised gaze. Normally he would have been in physical pain a moment later, but she was preoccupied. She took both little girls' hands and tread slowly toward the door. She called back an afterthought,

"Oh, Yahiko-chan? Add another five hundred strokes for the busu remark." She smiled, self-satisfied, and walked out the door, followed by the heavy groan of Yahiko. 

A blanket of petals lay lightly on the ground, set to flight by light summer breezes that carried the scent of sakura blossom. Raven hair swept across the pale plane of her face as she walked with the girls in toe. The doctor met them just outside, smiling as his granddaughters ran into his arms. And as soon as they had come, they were gone. 'Yet another ordinary day.' Her mind whispered as she watched three forms fade into the distance, then hurried inside.

The sun lent its brilliant setting to the dojo wall, painting it orange, red and purple before fading into the velvet blue of early night.

"Five hundred!" Yahiko stated triumphantly. 

"Dinner! Kenshin! Yahiko!" Kaoru answered, peeking her head out the door.

Kenshin was holding the final laundry basket, watching her as she disappeared into the house. She could capture his attention by breathing alone and his heart stopped when she called his name. He almost smiled sincerely, but shook his head. Surely, Kaoru-dono was his landlady, his friend, even, but……… 

"Yeah! Let's eat!" He hurried inside at the sound of Sano's traditional eat-dinner war cry. If he was to have any food to live off of, he ought to have hurried. 

It was obvious that Kaoru made it due to the fact that it was nearly inedible, but Kenshin didn't much mind it. He'd been too distracted to make anything, she knew. He could have cut his hand off, set fire to the house, if he'd tried to cook. At the moment she watched him, he was staring thoughtfully at the opposite wall, as if it was the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.

"Kenshin- you haven't eaten." She suggested quietly.

"Can you blame him?" Sano was washing off his tongue after again trying to eat.

Kenshin jumped visibly and began on his dinner, if only to quell the fear in Kaoru's eyes. But food no longer satisfied him; it didn't fill the void that he felt. But why now? Why ten years later? He'd never felt so guilty, so empty, before. And an inexplicable anger was rising within him, but with himself or someone else, he couldn't tell. 

She didn't look away, even as he obediently ate. His eyes were not those of her rurouni, to be sure. They were cold, calculating, as if they willed the dinner plate to shatter into a million pieces under their frozen gaze. It sent a chill through her, but her stare was met by violet. He was back to normal. 

Did no one else notice? Both minds raced, both mouths stopped eating. Yahiko was scarfing down food, but Sano quickly became aware of their awkward silence, broken only by the slurping from beside them.  

Kenshin rose from the table, picking up the bowl of half eaten food and beginning to clean. Kaoru watched those telltale eyes until she was sure all was well with Kenshin.

He sat down against the wall in his room, letting his head slam back against the wall. 'How could I lose control?' His hands clenched. A steel cold voice hissed through his head, threatening, chilling his very soul.

::Have you given up yet? You cannot fight me.::

||I will not allow you to harm more people. This is a time of peace.||

::You cannot keep me confined forever………::

||But I can try………||

::For the girl? I would take care of her.::

||NO!||

The Hitokiri's cold laugh reverberated through him, fading into the dark corners of his mind. His eyes flew open, purest purple. He couldn't let the Battousai have his way. It would plunge the world into chaos again. Who knew what the manslayer, chained for ten years, would do if freed? 

He noticed detachedly that blood trickled down his palm. The fist at his side unclenched, and he raised his hand to watch the light glisten off the ribbon of blood that steadily made its way down his wrist. He swiped it away. "No………"

The covers were strewn about her in wild waves. 

}{Golden eyes flashed, a sword struck its target. A form collapsed just behind her. 'Kenshin. Kenshin!' The girl looked wildly around. He was crumpled in a corner of the blackness that overtook the place that trapped them. She shook him, to no avail. She pulled a hand away. It was covered in blood. Her breath became ragged. He was only injured. He would return to normal just like always. 

A cold wind cut her to the marrow of her very bone. Suddenly, those golden eyes were bearing down on her, cold steel reflecting the girl that stared up, eyes tearful. She screamed, throwing up her hands to protect herself.}{

"Kenshin!" She flew up, sweat cold on her face and tears fresh in her eyes. She drew her knees to her chest and gathered her covers around her, shaking. A terrified Kaoru stared at the wall for the rest of the night, fearful of what torture her dreams might bring her.

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Status: End chapter One. Please review.


	2. Haunted

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams. And for Misty, ruler of Antarctica and Mistress of all penguins.

Notes: Thanks to all who reviewed. I've almost finished writing the story, so hopefully the chapters will be updated weekly for the next… seven or eight weeks.

"And I'm haunted/   
By the lives that I have loved/   
And actions I have hated/  
I'm haunted/  
By the promises I've made/   
And others I have broken/  
I'm haunted/  
By the lives that wove the web/   
Inside my haunted head"/

-"Haunted" (Poe)

Haunted

"You look terrible, Jou-chan." Sanosuke remarked tactlessly the next morning, shoveling down food that Kenshin had managed to make. 

She gave him a sharp look in reply. "Don't you have a respectable job yet?"

Sano gave her a glare between gulps, and that was the end of the conversation.

Kenshin sat, in utter silence, watching them. He'd heard her sobs in the darkness, and he hated himself for doing this to them. He should just pull himself together, like every other person. But he wasn't like every other person. He stared at his hands; they were quickly soaking in blood. Feeling the bile rising in his stomach, he thrust them under the table, prompting a few odd looks.

He rose quickly, hitting the wood and flipping Sano's breakfast into the air. He took no notice of the little incident and walked outside.

"Hey, Kenshin!" Sano was immediately after him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." The reply hissed back at him and Kenshin himself seemed surprised by the malice in his tone. He hurried away, putting as much distance as possible between them. The puzzled man just looked after Kenshin's retreating back.

"Hmm…"

He scrubbed, as hard as he could. Why wouldn't they come clean? Still soaked in blood. His hands were still soaked. He stared into the murky water of more wash, watching the blood his mind conjured spread like smoky fingers through the water. His raw hands burned, but he paid them little mind again. It was a small retribution to the pain his victims had felt. 

A cold breeze cut through the Rurouni.

Something was happening. He looked frantically around as his world darkened. The wash was gone. Everything was black. It was he. Kenshin's greatest foe- himself. The Battousai stared with eyes as cold as winter and spoke with a tongue sharper than the sword at his hip, which was swinging dangerously.

::Are you afraid?::

||No.||

::Why not? Even you know your grip on me weakens……… Give up Rurouni, it will be easier on all of us.::

||Enough.||

The golden-eyed manslayer drew his sword, and the reverse blade was quick to the block. It was a single blow, meant for no more than intimidation. And the Battousai was gone.

Everything swam back into view, the tub, the ground, and the trees. He stared absently at the spot in which his counterpart had stood only a moment before. He stopped for a split second, then finished the wash, suddenly unsure of how long he had been there. 

Between the Hitokiri resurfacing, now being avoided by his best friend and sending Kaoru into emotional turmoil thinking he was dying every time he looked at her, Kenshin couldn't relax. Kaoru suggested that he take a day off, go shopping for something, or, as much as it pained her to say, visit Megumi. She was busy enough with running the dojo, he admonished himself, and she didn't need to worry about him on top of all of it. 

He looked at her for a moment. She spoke volumes, though her mouth didn't once move. She was terrified he wouldn't come back.

"Sessha will be home soon, de gonzaru." He said with a smile before walking out the gate toward town. He had to get away………

The streets were so quiet. Or perhaps they were bustling with life. He wouldn't know. To Kenshin, all was a silent world now. He wondered for a fleeting moment of his sanity, but the thought was shaken. This too would pass, or so he hoped, and everything would be back to normal. Something just had to have been- triggering it……… that was all. 

A buzzing had begun in the back of his mind, mildly irritating, but it grew. Its volume increased to a roar like a waterfall. His hands clung to his ears, blocking out the sound. And then there was screaming. So much screaming.

He looked around, seeing the world as though he was underwater, wondering why no one else reacted. He couldn't see the crowd gathering around him. He could only just feel the ground as it made contact with his head. And all was dark.

………

She sat on the porch of the dojo, leaning against a beam. One eye opened blearily to gaze at another setting sun. She saw the small pot, still filled with water she should have boiled hours ago for dinner. Surly Kenshin should have been back by now……… But she couldn't help feeling something was wrong.

"Kaoru!"

Ripped back to reality quickly, Kaoru watched as Yahiko, completely breathless stood in front of her, trying to get something out between heaves. 

"Something's," Gasp ", Wrong with Kenshin." Heave ", something bad happened."

The young dojo master was on her feet, searching the boy's eyes for a clue more than that, but he didn't seem to know any more than he spoke. Sano's spiky head popped out the door. He may have been slightly afraid of Kenshin for the time being, but if his friend was in danger……… Sano stepped out of the house completely, following Kaoru and Yahiko, all at a dead run, back to the clinic.

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Thanks:

Tiger: Thanks… I'm really glad you like. It only gets weirder, though, trust me… ^^

Silverfox190: Updating weekly now… hope to hear from you again!


	3. Truths, Lies and Golden Eyes

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams. And for Misty, ruler of Antarctica and Mistress of all penguins.

Notes: Sorry this took so long (a week late), but I was on the best vacation ever. Anybody on a robotics team? I am! I went to Pittsburgh, PA, for a competition (Team 272!). We took home highest honors! I was so happy. I roomed with one of my friends for three nights, so I had fun at the hotel, too. Still, 6 hours of driving is a lot. Anyway, I'm still writing, but on chapter seven or so, things seem to be coming to a clean close, but I might even expand a bit more. I never know exactly what I want to do.

"Look at me I'm falling/   
Off of a cliff now/

Can't catch up to me now/   
And the view is so beautiful/   
All the way down/"

-"I Choose" (The Offspring)

"I wake up laughing/   
Thrown from a nightmare/   
I come down standing/  
When I'm tossed/

 in the air./"

-"The Dream's Lost on Me" (Blondie) Truths, Lies, and Golden Eyes 

Violet eyes met the world again. He quickly realized that he felt as if his head had collided with a rock, and a heavy one at that, judging from the pounding in his skull.

"Oh, Kami-sama." There it was again, that hand that drug him back, didn't allow him to slip back into the nothingness.

Sapphire blue stared down at him, ringed with red. She hadn't been……… crying?

"Kaoru-dono?" His voice felt as if it had come from someone else, far away, though the pain was so near………

"Don't crowd him, Tanuki!" Megumi's words flew harsher than usual from somewhere behind him. Kaoru obeyed, silently. He automatically sprung up, suddenly aware of the people around him.

He feared to ask it, willed himself not to ask, but it was inevitable.

"What happened?" 

"You fell on the street." Kaoru interjected, her voice shaky. 

He knew that she was withholding something, but with his head in the shape it was in, he couldn't properly sense a ki. He smelled blood, though whether it was his own or the blood of another he couldn't be sure, and he couldn't concentrate on.

He breathed deeply, feeling the welcoming softness of a pillow and the cold cloth against his head, calming him. The pain was fading, if only slightly. He would worry with everything else later, but his body screamed for natural sleep, and that he could not refuse it. Through heavy eyelids he saw them, watching, and he knew that they would be there when he awoke.

"Will he be okay?" Fevered voices whispered, trying not to wake him. 

"For the thousandth time, he'll be fine." Megumi, he presumed.

"But what about-" A male voice, but not one he recognized.

"Leave it. He's waking up."

Everything blurred together, colors dancing on a pallet before him before shapes formed. All but Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko had left by now, but he noticed a police officer being hurriedly pushed out the door by an impatient Megumi. 

"Tell him……… Later."

His limbs felt like stone, heavy and dead, and his mind was fuzzy. Perhaps they were the effects of a drug of some kind. Barely anyone had moved at all, save for Yahiko, who had fallen asleep in Kaoru's lap. After a moment, Sano was on top of him. 

"Hey, you had us worried there, Kenshin." He said with a smile.

"TORI ATAMA!" Megumi, like an apparition came out of nowhere, steaming and prying Sano off her patient. 

Kaoru didn't move. She looked at him. He looked at her. They looked at each other. And Megumi dragged a whining Sano and a half-sleeping Yahiko out of the room.

She gazed down at him with warmth that he had not known for far too long. So polite, so helpful and generous and kind to her. And she had taken him for granted. His eyes were closed again, but she could tell he wasn't asleep. She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes, prompting him completely awake. He spoke quietly, his eyes only cracked open to allow himself to see her, no matter how much the light hurt.

The trail of a tear made its way down her face silently, knowing the truth and knowing how much better a lie would sound……… but she couldn't lie to him. Her thoughts were ceased by the chilled hand on her face, wiping away the tear from her cheek. His voice met her ears painfully, cracked and depressed.

"Kaoru-dono……… Sumimasen."

 She didn't answer right away. _Did he know? Did he know what happened? Of course not………_

"No……… no need to apologize." She said with a weak smile.

No need to apologize to her, but she hadn't been there. Not at the market- not after he'd gotten up again. And not when he'd become the Battousai. But she need not have spoken; she could see him slowly remembering. She could only thank the gods that he was carrying the reverse blade. No one was killed.

}{He remembered indeed. Opening his eyes, those hateful, golden eyes and staring around at the people now encircling him. A feeling of pure hatred for them, for no adequate reason, was boiling inside of him. And he rose, drawing the sword. One after another they fell with a cry until the sixth woman cowered before him. He stopped dead. Yes, that he remembered, trying to regain his hold on the manslayer. It bought them enough time to knock him out from behind.}{

He looked at Kaoru, who was staring at her knees. He tried to speak, opened his mouth, and, knowing that nothing he could say would be appropriate, closed it again.

"We should have watched you, gone with you-" Her breaking voice hesitantly tested the thick air.

"Iie. It's my own fault." He shook his head, disgusted with himself. He pushed himself to his feet, but dizzily dropped to one knee again. Emotions tensed him, anger and desolation setting in. He found himself lying again in a moment, Kaoru's hand pressing gently and insistently against his chest.

"They're all fine. And most of them understand, really they do. Megumi's checked them all over and they'll be fine in a few days." She spoke with a half-hearted smile, trying desperately to reassure him, though the tears of fear she was fighting weren't helping her case. Kenshin shook his head. They couldn't understand. They understood the probable explanation of insanity that was given to them, but they could never understand the truth. Even he didn't fully understand the truth. But he was sure he knew one person who did.

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Invader Zim: Will do. Sorry for the delay, hope it's up fast enough for you! 

bootleg: Two are up now, hope you stick with me. I'm glad this didn't go down like a lead balloon.

Inochi Ryu: *laughs* Sorry 'bout that, you'll just have to deal with my cliffy tendencies. I believe you have cliffhangophobia, you may want to have it diagnosed by a professional. ^^

kenji: Thanks very much! I spent a lot of time tweaking everything to make it less than typical. I've only yet scraped the main plot… have fun readin'!


	4. Without a Trace

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams. And for Misty, ruler of Antarctica and Mistress of all penguins.__

"I am confused, fighting myself/   
Wanting to give in, needing your help/   
……… /  
Can you see it in me, skin cold from touch/   
Each turn confronted with what I have done/   
You pull me closer, I push you away/  
You tell me it's okay, I can't help but feel the pain."/

-"Need To" (Korn)

**Without a Trace**

****

He looked to his right. There she was, crumpled against the wall trying to recapture the hours of sleep she had surrendered for his sake. His ebon haired angel, watching over him, healing him. He smiled, Kaoru looked so peaceful when she slept. It was when she woke up that she was dangerous. Even then she was irresistible to him, so fiery and fierce in her all-to-common rages. But he would not allow himself her. He was the wanderer, the killer, and she was the quintessence of perfection, innocence. 

Such things should not be mixed, he reminded himself.

They had only returned to the dojo about a day ago, with Megumi's permission and some painkillers. Kenshin had the feeling that they were telling him to sleep far more than it was necessary, whether to avoid him or to keep him from guilt. He was feeling much better than before, certainly, almost back to normal. 

He brushed the sweaty bangs from his eyes. They'd been overdoing the blankets, as well. He hated the way they all ran like mad for his comfort. Once he'd regained all normal function, he could get back to those meaningless chores that he actually had come to love—and to miss, but not here………

He could barely see his own writing in the darkness, but it turned out legible, as it seemed. He laid it lightly on the table next to her sleeping form, as if he feared the parchment should break if he let it down any harder. It was possibly his last will and testament. He slid open the shoji, looking finally over his shoulder at her. He couldn't leave her with only a note. His haori slid off, and he placed it over her as gently as he could without waking her.

He almost willed her to awaken, beg him not to go, to take her with him, but he knew that he could not refuse such and she would be in danger. It was something that he had to do alone.

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Kaoru-dono."

And the form slipped past her into the night. 

………

The musky smell danced into her nostrils, the morning light was like a crowbar, pulling her eyes open to embrace the day.

"Damn sun………" She mumbled, rolling over under the sweet smelling cover. Like soap and sakura and cooking……… but the coppery smell of blood tinged its edges. She inhaled again, identifying the smell to be Kenshin's. She sat up, blinking the sun from her tired eyes.

Sapphire eyes turned to nothing. An empty pallet lay where Kenshin once was. She glared at it. Who gave him permission to get up? Kaoru rose quickly, nearly running headlong into the small table by her side. She didn't notice the tiny slip of paper that fluttered unceremoniously to the ground. Donning her yukata, Kaoru raced off in search of him.

"Kenshin!"

"Haven't seen him all morning, Jou-chan."

"What's goin' on?"

Yahiko's head flew out of the door, bokken tossed carelessly over his shoulder. 

A thousand thoughts ran through Kaoru's mind, the most prevalent of which was cursing the rurouni if he'd even been thinking of leaving her.

She returned to the room after a while to find the paper under a thrown blanket.

She read the note quickly. A single tear made its way down her face from sapphire blue eyes.

He'd left her again. The only flicker of a candle in her dark world, extinguished. A single rose ripped from the otherwise barren bushes in her heart. It was over. He didn't say he was coming back. She let her tear roll down her cheek, leaving its silvery trail on her face. He wasn't there to wipe it away now………

"Kami-sama, keep him safe." She prayed with words that slipped quickly off her tongue, rising like incense to any god who could hear her prayer and bring him back to her.

She shook herself mentally. No, she had to keep her composure, if only for the sake of the others. She wouldn't fall apart again. Grasping the letter in her hands, she turned to the shoji, sliding open and closed behind her slowly. 

Sano stood outside with Yahiko, scouring the ground for clues.

"I found this………" She said in a breaking voice, passing the note off to Sano. 

"What?" Yahiko demanded, jumping to get a look at the note.

Sanosuke read it over with a growl. "Stupid……… selfish……… crazy………"

His face softened as he looked over at Kaoru, who was struggling to remain under perfect control, clutching her wrist so hard that her knuckles were turning white and her hand was turning purple.

"Well, Jou-chan, I think we should go get him."

Yahiko had figured out what the note read and was nodding vehemently in agreement.

She smiled slightly, the tears threatening to spill. "But do we know where he went?"

"There're only so many places in the world." Sano chuckled.

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	5. The Beginning of the End

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams. And for Misty, ruler of Antarctica and Mistress of all penguins.

"Goodbye doesn't mean forever/   
Let me tell you goodbye doesn't mean/   
we'll never be together again/  
Though we may be so far apart you still/   
will have my heart."/

-"Goodbye Girl" (David Gates)

**The Beginning of the End**

His feet hurt, he realized slowly as the searing pain came to mind. Damned Battousai, dragging him all the way out into the middle of nowhere. He growled, then pulled himself back, regulating his breathing. 'I should be grateful, now Kaoru-dono and the others won't be hurt.' He thought to himself.

He leaned on a rock and looked down at his worn feet. No blood, he could carry on, but they'd hurt like hell. He leaned back, glad to be off his feet at last. The sky almost glowed an incomparable sapphire, if he imaged hard enough, it bled into the color of her eyes. But he was not worthy of her and as much as he told himself such, she haunted him…

Thick trees darkened the sky, yet the ever-hopeful light fought its way through the branches, casting dappled shadows over the earth. A small waterfall rumbled down across the path, rushing over smooth rocks before beating the water like a drum. Violet eyes watched it with enchantment. It was a wonder of nature, a wonder seen less since the urbanization of the times.

He ran a hand over the hilt of the Sakabatou, thinking about the past and coming days. That was all it took to unleash the demon. Blackness consumed him and the world froze and faded away.

::Foolish Rurouni. This ends now.::

||Hai. That it does.||

Two men stood in an endless scape of darkness. The boundaries could not be  seen, but the echoes were deafening. Two blades were drawn quickly, the metallic sound echoing in the refines of their mind. They took up stance. The better swordsman would win control of the body. Two swords slipped simultaneously out of their sheaths. 

He could feel cold sweat dripping from his temple, but what was dream and what was reality, who he truly was, they were all melting into each other and combining together. He wasn't sure whose katana he held anymore. Battousai's or the Rurouni's? He couldn't even think anymore. All anything would add up to was violet, gold, and blazing sapphire.

::Die.::

And there was silence.

………

"Where the hell could he have gone?" Sano's aggravated voice tore through the thick air.

It was humid, sticky. All were soaked in sweat and water both- from a romp in the river to keep them cool enough to keep walking. The path was dusty as the three figures walked it, kicking up the dirt, letting it fall back like corrupt snow to the dearth earth. One had proposed this path, but who it was, no one could remember. The only things that ran through their minds were of finding a friend.

Kaoru had long abandoned her tears along this path. There were leads to follow, there were places to go. She would not cry. With a determined stare, she continued on.

………

Bronze locks fell into the face of the woman as she stood, staring at the back of a filled seat. He was just like that, the boss. Never wanting anyone to see his face, even when handing out assignments.

"Sir?" She questioned after a prolonged silence. 

Smoke greeted her, spiraling upward from the chair. "Himura Battousai. Find him. Kill him."

Confusion met the woman's face, twisting it into uncertainty.

"But- Sir, I don't- Why?"

"Don't question. For once, Miyuzuko, don't question."

"Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir."

Miyu rolled her eyes, pure ruby red. How they'd gone that color, she didn't know, but it happened around that time that her family was slaughtered… Otherwise, she was a beautiful creature, thin and tall, but not lanky. She carried a swift and deadly elegance, unmatched and she killed with such accuracy. 

That was how 'the boss' had hired her. That was the only name she knew him by. So formal when they'd claimed to be a 'family' in the beginning. She knew better now. They were a strange dojo, brainwashing and teaching others to kill under guise of 'defense.' But she had nowhere else to go, and so she remained.

Boss once said that there was no place for red eyes more fitting than the last thing an 'attacker' sees just before you slay him. She was beginning to doubt, to think that maybe she could function in society with them than she could in the hell she lived from day to day. Just one last job though- there was a manslayer to be dealt with. But why he'd assigned her such a daunting job, she didn't know.

She was only twenty-five, still young by all standards, why would he?

She shrugged simply and glided out the door. She might as well finish her career with a bang.

"Himura Battousai……… Say your goodbyes, you shan't see the rising of another sun."

………

Fiery hair was crushed beneath him; he was lying on the ground again with another agonizing headache. He moaned and struggled to his feet. He opened his eyes to stare at the sky. Had he been victorious? He couldn't recall…

He struggled to the small pond just off the waterfall, splashing water onto his face. He was feeling quite drained, and a blazing pain was becoming more and more apparent in his shoulder. He remembered being struck there, by his opponent's blade, but no mark was visible as he examined a nonexistent wound. The water reflected a strange sight. He looked into its depths and saw himself, though his eyes were so strange… one was violet, but the other pure amber.

A stick cracked behind him, and he swore he heard a rough curse, but not more than the wind greeted him. Her rubbed his eyes and returned his gaze to the glassy surface. Only purple… He sighed, relieved. This battle, at least, was won, but more lingered close. He could not return to Tokyo, it would be too dangerous.

"_Going somewhere?_" The icy voice caught him off guard, but as he turned to look, she was already next to him. "_Tsk, tsk. Slowing down, are we _Battousai_?_" She hissed the name with such hatred he immediately suspected an old enemy. But in the glance he caught, he didn't recognize her. Red eyes. He was sure he would have remembered such a woman, but alas, none came to mind.

Her clothes were less than modest under the short kimono she wore. Black, skintight fabric held her under it, a pliable armor. She was quick to discard the kimono, revealing a silken sash holding many a weapon, no longer so concealed.  

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"Miyuzuko, but you may call me Miyuu if you desire it." She returned in sultry tones.

He was obviously not amused, she noted sourly. With a shrug, she had drawn a tarnished silver katana. But it took less than a moment for him to realize that it was not tarnish that soiled her blade, but dried blood. Though not a new sight, it sickened him all the same.

Miyuu watched his eyes flash over her sword and darken. She chuckled, leaning against a tree nearby, looking off. "Well, I came to do a job and I won't be leaving until it's done."

"And what job is that, Miss Miyuzuko?" 

"Why, I've been sent to destroy the Kamiya dojo, and that destruction begins with your demise. Draw your weapon and prepare to die, Battousai."

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I've been told I'm confusing people, so I'll try to explain myself. Kenshin doesn't exactly _have_ anything; it's a sort of internal struggle that's throwing him of physically as well as mentally. I imagine fighting with a manslayer alter-personality would be exhausting and straining. This is more what Kenshin is going through. Last chapter, he snapped and lost control, therefore, feeling guilty he's left. I can't believe I made him leave. I hate fics where he leaves. Bad Kitty!

Miyuu is an original character (*dun dun dun DUN!*). She's not to be used without permission. Thank you.

bootleg: Thanks. I hope I explained it a bit better. I was going to put the explanation in the story as a conversation between Misao and Kaoru, but it occurred to me that neither could comprehend it to explain it well enough, plus, I would have to edit every chapter somewhere to make Misao's visit not seem out of place. I did a short soliloquy with Ken-san, but it seems easiest just to write it out. I appreciate the honest review; I'll go back into the story and explain if I can. Angsty. That's a new one to me… I guess I've never done angst before this one. Ooh, it feels good. I should do it more often…

Invader Zim: Thanks very much. Hope I'm not disappointing you.

Brittanie Love: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm updating once to twice a week, but the whole story is written on paper now. I just have to type it in and upload at will.

d2k3001: Thank you, and I shall update! Ha ha!


	6. Finding Home

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams.

"I touch the fire and it freezes me/   
I look into it and its black/   
Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel/   
I want the fire back/   
Now through the smoke she calls to me/   
To make my way across the flame/   
To save the day or maybe melt away/   
I guess it's all the same/   
So I will, walk through the fire/   
… Where else can I turn?/"

-"Drawn to the Fire" (Sarah Michelle Gellar)

**Finding Home**

"Draw your weapon and prepare to die, Battousai."

The words echoed in his head. Such malice, coming from such a small body… It was almost chilling. After a lifetime of battles and bloodshed, this would cut him to the very marrow of his bone.

He pulled back, katana glinting, but she barely allowed him an opening to attack.

She was instantly striking out, lacking any kind of rhyme or reason. She was impossible to predict… and therein laid an almost perfect strategy.

Kenshin was immediately set to defense, and Miyuzuko seemed to take great delight in the fact. She giggled, ripping a dagger from a sheath on her hip and sending it flying in his direction. He only just dodged it; the rip on his shoulder was a testament to the fact. He jumped forward, with no time for showy attacks. All he could manage was a quick slash at her, cutting into the silk around her hips.

"Now, Battousai, you know better than to attack a lady so intimately, don't you?"

She teased vocally, but she was glaring daggers at him. 

:: You would kill us both. It's my turn.::

Scarlet eyes were met with gold. She felt a wave of fear pass through her. This was no innocent wanderer. These were the eyes of an experienced killer: one who would not blink before slaying the woman standing in front of him. She had real trouble on her hands now.

"Draw your weapon and prepare to die… _Miyuu_" He snarled.

She did as she was told, pulling out a long sword. _I must stall him…_

The singular thought made its way through her mind. If nothing else, she could have a bit longer before her destruction.

"I know you, Battousai. I know you and the girl."

"She is not a girl, she is a woman."

"Ooh, I see how it is…"

"My, my, you're even stupider than you look. I shall be sure you never speak of Kaoru again."

Suddenly, her eyes were jerked upward, to a bird in the trees overhead. The small bird was white, but wings were blood red, both innocent and deadly. It let out a loud, long call, even as Battousai charged her. With a squeak she slid out of the way and took off at a run, calling over her shoulder.

"Hey, fair fight next time, I don't want to see your wimpy loser again, clear?"

She disappeared, following the bird away.

::Fool. She is after our woman.::

A guttural and animalistic growl was rumbling from his throat, a strange but uncontrollable reaction. In a moment he was after her, ignoring the pain in his feet and the nick on his shoulder that was beginning to open up and bleed. None of it mattered, for his friends were in danger. He knew Battousai would not interrupt this time… the rurouni would fight to full potential if his loved ones were on the line.

…

Miyuu was fast, weaving between the trees with agility only acquired through years of practice. The bird's feathers were casting down droplets on her face as she ran, as if its wings were soaked in water. She wondered where it had been…

She shook her head, running on. Miyuu's final mission as the Demon was coming to a close. Kill the girl, the boy, run. That was the only plans she had devised on such short notice from the boss. She drew her katana again, looking on it with a disturbing comradeship. Strange how this simple blade had protected her for so long. She only hoped it would continue to do so. She shrugged to herself. Now was not the time for petty trips down memory lane.

She let out long, black locks behind her, letting the wind rustle through them. She couldn't sense the Battousai, but that meant very little. He could have been concealing his presence. He could be right behind her… Startling herself, she glanced back, but was greeted with nothing but a bitter silence. 

Perhaps she shouldn't go through with it…

But she was no coward and she was no turncoat and no disloyal wench. She grinned arrogantly at nothingness, challenging the day.

And even more luck- she seemed to have lost the Battousai. 

She came to the dojo, ready to finish off her prey. Ruby eyes searched frantically for signs of life. They found an abandoned dojo, looking rather lonely, with no signs of inhabitance. She could only glare at the place in disbelief. Was she not sent here to destroy a prosperous dojo? Was she not told that the Battousai's wench was here, with a boy? There was nothing.

…

"Jou-chan, you okay?" 

Kaoru nodded as she climbed to her feet again. The summer was a bit too warm to be running around in a kimono. She put a hand to the burning flesh of her forehead; a small jolt of pain ran through it at her touch. Just a little overheating, she assured herself. 

"Maybe we should go home?"

Sano's suggestion was sounding better and better, but she knew he was only asking for the fifth time because he was hungry. She finally nodded grudgingly; at least they could eat, then get back to the clues of Kenshin's disappearance. She was going to find him- if it was the last thing she ever did.

Little did she know… I could be the last thing she ever did.

…

 He grunted in frustration at the restaurant owner, finally slamming the counter and leaving. No help. Just a fearful glance and a screaming run. How was that supposed to help him get home? If any of them were hurt in the slightest…  he shuddered in pure rage for something that was only a possibility to this point. But the weight of such a possibility was finally weighing him down. He had to find out where he was… and how he could get home.

Home. He'd never remembered really having one. Maybe with Hiko? No, it was not home- it was training camp. Perhaps with Tomoe he'd had a home… His chest constricted and he found himself searching for air. Apparently, it was enough on that subject for now. He leaned against the bar, sighing hopelessly. What was going on now?

"Hey young'n. What 'chu groanin' at?… Dang, this sack-y stuff is good." A voice greeted from the other side of the room. Even the ever-cheerful rurouni seemed to have a short temper in answering him.

"I need to get back to Tokyo, _de gonzaru_." He said, adding the end only for effect, to convince himself that everything was the same. He brought violet eyes up to meet the man.

He was crooked and tired, but not very old. His hair was dusted with dirt and grease,

"Well, I could show 'ya the way if you don't mind an old man's bad feet."

Kenshin looked up, vaguely amazed at his dumb luck. He only nodded absently in reply.

"A'right then, off we go."

The man downed the rest of his sake. He looked rather foreign, especially judging by his horrible mutilation of the vernacular, but he spoke as if he'd been in Japan since he was born, knew it like the back of his hand. Kenshin nearly smiled at this, but it ceased as the old man stumbled to the side, giggling madly as he hit the wall and continued on through it, met by the screams of startled waitresses on the other side. 

"'Ello there, love…" He slurred slightly.

A slapping sound resounded through the place. 

"You get the hell outta here, Toshiki! And don't you be comin' back here 'til you're sober." A waitress's hysteric cries escorted them out.

Kenshin found the man's arm and led him away, mumbling nonsense about how no woman could resist his charm. The samurai rolled his eyes- this was going to be interesting.

"What's y'ur name, young'n?"

"Himura Kenshin."

"Well, well, Mr. Himura, 's nice ta' meecha."

…

"…two years 'go I came back an' I been livin' in that rest'raunt ev'a since."

Kenshin would have fallen asleep if he hadn't been walking. Wasn't he in a rush? He tapped the man, and spoke quietly.

"Gomen, Toshiki-san, demo, could you just point me in the right direction? I would be very grateful, that I would."

Toshiki turned with a large grin and nodded, pointing forward and slightly right. "I s'pose you'll be able t' find y'ur way from here. You go along and get back home young'n. I know there's someone a-waitin' fur you. Take care o' y'rself."

"Arigatou, Toshiki-san." He glanced back at the chubby, smiling man behind him, then slipped silently off.

"That poor man has no idea what he's getting himself into." He shook his head as he watched Kenshin disappear. A small bird landed on his shoulder, white with red wings. He swatted it away with a grunt, then walked off, footfalls heavy against the dirt. 

The bird looked after him, then took flight upon its own path.

…

The streets were strangely deserted as the three figures wound through them, back towards the dojo. It was growing dark, dusk's colors once again finding her deep in thought. Kaoru led, still wondering about Kenshin's whereabouts, and thankful that they hadn't gone so far as to have been stuck out there. Her feet were sore, her voice was almost gone, and the other two were no better off.

They walked into the courtyard and were met by the sight of Miyuu, sitting casually by the door and staring at them. She nipped a smallish apple, just tearing at the deep red skin. "Well, well. So you do still live here. What a surprise." Her eyes found Sano, who was giving her a sharp look.

  
"What do you want?" Kaoru asked, sensing something was wrong.

Miyuzuko didn't speak a word. She didn't have to. Her sword was drawn quickly, held to threaten. "I hope you weren't expecting to see the Battousai again…"

A lingering scream held the air, fading into quiescence. And Miyuu's apple was left abandoned in the yard…
    
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    Ali-Adi- Aww, thanks. Sorry this took so long, I'm running on empty right now. I always want to know whether or not I'm keeping people in character. So thanks for the opinion! Would love to hear from you again!
    
    Brittanie Love- Thanks for the review, hope this chapter is as good.
    
    Invader Zim- Hehe. Good. *watches as McDonalds' lawyers carry off Invader Zim on copyright infringement* ^.- Hope to hear from you soon!


	7. Caged Bird

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams.

"He woke this morning she never told him/   
He never realized, but now she showed him/   
The sheets were folded, early that morning/  
He opened up his eyes, but she was stolen/   
  
I do not want to sleep/   
Or have you separate from me/   
I want you inside my dreams/   
That's what she said to me/"

- "Ballad of a Boy Who Woke Up to a Nightmare" (Campfire Girls)

****

Caged Bird 

"Damn it all!"

She cringed against the flurry of language flying from the other side of the grungy room. Miyuu paced miserably back and forth in front of Kaoru.

"What am I going to do?" She moaned, running her fingers through her hair. Her blazing eyes found her captive, smoldering with a dark dislike and a desperation that severely unnerved the younger woman. Kaoru's eyes were only beginning to adjust to the light, or lack thereof. 

It was a simple and somewhat cramped room, only one door that apparently led outside, no windows. A bed sat in one corner, but it look as though it hadn't been slept in for years, the covers accompanied only a thick, brackish mold. There was a decrepit desk with a fresh white piece of paper and the beginnings of a letter, along with a sputtering candle that provided the only light. Otherwise the only piece of furniture was the chair that Kaoru was tied to. 

She had given up on struggling hours ago, around the time Miyuu had returned and gave her the look that was even now sending chills down her spine. She slumped against the chair, exhausted, as Miyuzuko muttered only half-sanely to her.

"It was so simple… kill the girl, run. That was all. But _no_. I had to go make it hard for myself. I had to leave you alive, didn't I?" She glared, then sighed and surrendered to the disgusting bed, sprawling out on it.

"I'll leave you here, then I'll go. The boss will know you're dead and I won't have to kill you myself. You'll stay here until some animal claims you."

"Why…?" Kaoru's voice resounded, the voice of a fearful young woman, terrified, but equally curious. "Why won't _you_ kill me?"

"Because…" Miyuu's voice was cracking fast. "Because you remind me of myself, just a little while ago." Apparently, Miyuu had decided that she had to speak her past to someone, and Kaoru was a convenient ear.

"It's been ten years since I saw my parents, you know. And the last I saw was their corpses." Her voice was weighted by bitterness. "They were killed, by an assassin. My father was important to the government. I never even asked what exactly he did… My mother was completely innocent. She'd done nothing at all, she was just… there. A man with a black cape, and a red moustache. He killed them." She looked at Kaoru.

"My father died as well…**" Kaoru quietly spoke, her eyes to the floor. "But in war. He was a good father. He always lived by the motto, 'the sword that protects life.'"

**A/N: Just a tid-bit. Contrary to some popular belief, Kaoru's father survived the Bakamatsu, the war that put the Meiji government into power, but was killed in the southwest war, of which I have little knowledge. When the series begins, he has only been dead for 6 months. I just found this interesting. End A/N**

The trace of a smile painted Miyuzuko's face. "My papa, he'd lift my sister and I into the air and how we'd laugh. My sister was kidnapped by the assassin, I looked for her for the longest time." Her eyes were bright, for the first time, but looked off into a cobweb-coated corner. "Then Toshiki found me. He was so kind to me. He got me out of the house after it burned down and he took me to the Kuro Hikari dojo. They trained me, day in and day out for five years. I wanted to go find my sister, save her. I was your age when I met Hiro. He was everything I wanted and more. He loved me.

"But they wouldn't have it. They said he'd committed suicide. I was so stupid. I thought it was my fault, I thought they were telling me the truth." She concealed a heavy sob behind a cough. From outside Kaoru's line of vision she pulled a bottle of whiskey. Ripping off the cap, she gulped down a mouthful quickly. "Then I knew. Three days ago, after four years of thinking the only man I loved had killed himself. He was killed, but not by his own hand. I found his body downstream of a little river near my hometown. Such a beautiful face, you'd think he was only napping in the river again."

Kaoru was shaking slightly, unsure of whether or not Miyuu was in touch with reason at all. She was casually swing a knife as she spoke and paced about the room. She stopped, looking thoughtful for a moment, then, suddenly her knife was poised over Kaoru's head, shaking wildly. 

The door ripped clean off its rusty hinges as a new figure exploded into the room.

"Miyuu?"

…

"Sano? What happened?"

A bleary-eyed Sano looked up at Kenshin's fearful face again. The samurai's eyes darted about, looking at the wreck left in Miyuu's wake. There were pieces of wood broken off the dojo wall and one of Kaoru's favorite trees was more or less destroyed. The property could be replaced, but Sano was bleeding heavily from a cut in his side and Yahiko was nowhere in sight.

"Jou-chan. She has Jou-chan." Sano's breath was labored, but his wound was rather superficial. He would likely recover fine.

"Who has her?" Desperation was unconcealed in Kenshin's voice.

"…"

"Sanosuke! Who has Kaoru?" 

"A lady came. She knew you." Yahiko crawled out from under the bathhouse. He was not without injuries of his own. A small cut bled on his shoulder, fear burned in his eyes, but he seemed fine otherwise. 

His stomach dropped about a foot. He knew exactly who the lady was. Kaoru could be gone already. He spoke quickly. "Which way?"

Yahiko pointed down the road. "Go get Megumi-dono." He called over her shoulder. Yahiko, without a sound, took off in the opposite direction.

…

"Miyuu?"

The dark figure grabbed her from behind, flipping her around. Toshiki stared at her, trying to read her tear-stained face. Miyuu collapsed into him, crying again. The cold steel knife crashed against the floor deafeningly.

"What were you thinking?" he reprimanded quietly.  
  


Kaoru shuddered wildly, to shocked to do so much as cry out. She had no idea what was going on, and she was growing more and more frightened as the numbness was replaced by realization. Toshiki left a recovering Miyuu to lean down to Kaoru. He reached to brush some dirt from her face, but she jerked away rebelliously. He smiled, but didn't untie her.

"You're real tiny for a dojo master, ain't 'cha?" 

No answer.

"Kenshin _will_ come. Then you'll be sorry." She growled.

"Small world. Kenshin, eh? Himura, maybe?"

"Kenshin…" His name caught in her throat. _He was okay…_ "When-?"

"About a day ago. Seemed shook up over something. He was on his way to Tokyo, had a lady friend, I believe." He smiled knowingly at Kaoru, who returned a disdainful gaze. These people had kidnapped her, there was little for her to trust about them. 

Miyuu was cowering in the corner, apparently appalled with herself. Kaoru could only pity her…

"We best wrap up this little escapade, don't you think? Miyuu, we'll head north, away from the dojo. Little missy, you ought make yourself as visible as possible, cause I have a feeling they're looking for you. I'm gonna go pick up our bags, Miyuu. Stay, and don't do anything too stupid." He slipped the knife from Miyuu's grasp and freed Kaoru. In a moment, Toshiki was gone. 

"I suggest you not go out there." Miyuu whispered from a corner of the room as Kaoru rose a few minutes later.

"Why?" She asked defiantly. She opened the door slightly and found strangely dressed students. She slammed the door shut at their discontent faces. They were not here for a friendly chat and a cup of tea… A bullet exploded into the air and Kaoru bit her lip until it almost bled to keep from screaming. What did these men want?

…

His path wound around a large, steep mountain. Forests dotted the place, but much of the path was rock.

He sat again on a jagged shard of rock jutting from the earth. "A sign, please, anything." He pleaded aloud with no one. "Miss Kaoru… I don't want to lose anyone else." A shot rang out. Oh, he hated guns. He identified the shot to have come from a small cottage hanging on the edge of a precipice. His feet carried him swiftly; he had a bad feeling about the whole affair.

…

"**Open up, we know you're in there!**"

Thunmp!

Thunmp!

Thunmp!

"Don't move." Miyuu was rational again, commanding Kaoru swiftly as she crept through the house to blow out the candle. Her voice was followed by silence. 

A sword was drawn in the darkness as the candle spat thin wisps of smoke in its dying. 

"**Miyuzuko! You're dead either way; just make it easier on yourself! **"

She inhaled. So this was how it would end. "Let them come."

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Yep… this is turning into my typical bad guy-turned-good guy story. DEAL WITH IT! Ahem. I'll update pretty soon I think. Everything is written on paper; so I only need to write it into Word, and then upload… Cya soon. (Encouragement makes me want to update faster.)


	8. Converging Roads

Dedication: To Sara-chan, who listens to my nightmares and is constant to spur me on to embrace my dreams.

Notes: I'm so embarrassed... Nobody told me I was missing a chapter in there. Whoops. Well, here we are.

"The wreckage of my past keeps haunting me/  
It just won't leave me alone/  
I still find it all a mystery/  
Could it be a dream/  
The road to nowhere leads to me/  
Through all the happiness and sorrow/  
I guess I'd do it all again/  
Live for today and not tomorrow/  
It's still the road that never ends/" 

"Road to Nowhere" (Ozzy Osbourne)

Converging Roads 

His shoulders slumped as he ran, not stopping for a breath. Kaoru was in more danger every second he didn't find her. His speed was so fevered that he didn't notice the man he rushed headlong into.

"Toshiki-san?"

"Himura?"

Kenshin didn't speak, only locked his eyes on the other man, seeking an answer to an unspoken question.

"Your girl is-" His jaw dropped as he looked to the little cottage on the mountainside from which he had come. 'No.' He mouthed.

Kenshin's eyes darkened dangerously. "What's going on?" He demanded, rather than asked.

"They're after your girl and Miyuu."

"Who are-? _Miyuu_?" a dark anger gripped him. The woman who'd kidnapped _his_ Kaoru… and Toshiki had left them alone together? He was seething, but worry filled him more. He pounced, exploding into a run down the path to find her.

…

"You. Come. Now." Miyuu beckoned Kaoru, who had been cowering in a corner.

Miyuu was leaned against one of the old walls, pressing carefully. Finally, the wall gave way, exposing something Kaoru never expected to see. There was a room behind the wall, almost mirroring the first, but new, clean. She ushered Kaoru in, closing the door behind them. The back of her head slammed against the wall and she sighed deeply.

"There, take that door out. You should go." Miyuu didn't even make eye contact with her.

"What about you?" Kaoru asked timidly. She did hold a certain amount of compassion for the woman. Miyuu glanced to her, a smile tugging at her face, but never escaping.

"You're somethin', you know that? Battousai's woman, right? He really likes you."

"Woman?" Kaoru choked slightly. She'd heard it before, but how Miyuu spoke so familiarly of them made it seem more shocking. She hadn't been bound to any man before, even associated by speech, really…

She moved towards the door, she could almost feel Kenshin. Then a shot rang out, piercing through the wooden door of the shelter. They had discovered the escape route.

Kaoru clutched her arm. A bullet had just skimmed it, ripping through her kimono like tissue paper. She threw herself against the opposite wall. The two were surrounded, protected by only inches of wood and steel.

"Now that we're going to die, have any last requests, girl?"

Kaoru, surprisingly calm, answered quietly. "Why? Why kidnap me, why hurt Sano and Yahiko?" Her eyes burned, daring an honest answer from Miyuu.

"You mean the lummox and the kid? One, they'll be fine, I didn't hit anything major. Two, you're supposed to be dead, not kidnapped. My Boss, he doesn't like what you teach, all this about protecting. You're disputing what he's been instructing for years." She almost laughed. "How strange that he would spend all this effort on a frail woman, and one under Battousai's watch. He really _is_ a fool."

Kaoru growled slightly, former timidity seeming to evaporate at the frail comment. Her hands found her hips, noticing that the shooting had died down. She exhaled, but only a moment before the door (and half of the wall) was crushed by bodies ramming through it. Outside, they faintly heard a cry and the drawing of swords, but they were drowned in the chaos.

"Ever use a sword, missy Kaoru?" She didn't wait for a response. "You will now." She tossed the silver blade in a clean arch.

Kaoru muttered to herself as she managed to beat down many of the poorly trained students. A jump from the left, and Kaoru's body reacted in its second nature. Miyuu took to punching the students when she grew bored of her sword. Soon, bodies were strewn across the floor, most merely unconscious.

Miyuu collapsed onto the bed, head in hands- and laughed, long and hard. Even Kaoru began to chuckle. They just sat and laughed. But Miyuu's laughter faded away as she stared, then leered through Kaoru, prompting the woman to look behind her, then fly out of the way.

"You…"

…

Kenshin rushed through the collapsed door, slamming into the opposite wall in an instant. Pain flooded his shoulder as it rammed into the wall at full speed. He slumped down against the wall, his throat tight. There was no one there. He looked around at the empty room. He knew nothing of the passage right next to him… A small sob clawed at his throat, willing to be released, and in the process of oppressing it he was running out of air. But in the quiet left by his hushed breath, he heard voices from behind him. Two at least.

"Please be alright… Kaoru-dono."

…

"You…"

Kaoru turned, and was face-to-face with a man. He was tall, somewhat frail-looking, with a black cape and red mustache. She knew him, but not by personal contact. This was the man who murdered Miyuu's family, kidnapped her sister.

"Well, hello Miyuzuko."

"How do you- Who are-?" Miyuu couldn't complete a sentence, babbling incoherently.

"Don't question. For once, Miyuzuko, don't question."

"B-boss? No… it can't be…"

She was the epitome of shock, then of rage. "No!" A concealed Katana shot out of her sleeve, but he easily dodged it before it so much as touched him.

She continued on- kunai, daggers, her sword, any weapon that could be used was, but the result was the same.

"Foolish girl, I taught you everything you know."

As the two glared at each other, lost in a world she could not be a part of, Kaoru crept unnoticed to the new cabinet. She felt a single second in which Kenshin's strength and courage raced through her blood. In the moment, she tugged on the cabinet handle and opened an artillery of weapons. Few were useful to her, as she'd never so much as held a gun, but she quickly formulated a poorly devised plan.

She carelessly ripped a gun out of the cabinet, weighing it carefully. The sounds of the others fighting found her ears. Silently, she crept around behind him and sent the butt of a heavy rifle flying into the back of Boss's head.

He grunted, staring at Kaoru, and for a moment she feared it had done nothing, but slowly, his eyelids closed and he collapsed, just missing the girl. Kaoru's gaze wandered back to Miyuu, and there was a heavy silence.

Kaoru's eyes questioned Miyuu, but she didn't dare speak.

"My… sensei. He took me in after my parents died… trying to shift the blame off himself. I never saw his face. That's why… why I never knew. I'm so stupid…"

Kaoru awkwardly patted Miyuu's shoulder, finally speaking, almost inaudible. "Iie. You aren't stupid… he can't hurt you any more. Let's get out of here…."

…

The silky voice of Kaoru drifted through the wall as Kenshin desperately sought a way to get through. His tightness melted away, warm relief flooding him. She was all right. _She was alive._ His hands touched a raised spot on the wall and he readied himself to give it the proper push. Then another voice that made his blood run cold by the sound of it…

…

"Ah, but he will hurt you…"


	9. Diverging Roads Another Ordinary Day

"I need something to hold on to./  
Something to carry me through./  
All I need is one last look before you go./  
So I'll have memories wherever I go./  
One last look before you're gone./  
So in my heart you'll live on and on./"

"Just One Last Look" (The Temptations)

****

Diverging Roads- Another Ordinary Day 

"Ah, but he will hurt you…" Miyuu's boss was rising again. Blood stained his shoulder scarlet where it had run down from the back of his head. Fear gripped he two women as they stared up at him, but both denied it with cold stares. In a split second he lunged, his katana digging into Miyuu's arm. Instantaneously, Kenshin had exploded through the door, and Kaoru, poised to hit boss, sent a pole colliding with the back of her fearless rurouni's head instead.

He moaned, harmonized by Kaoru's horrified gasp. "Kenshin?"

Miyuu inhaled sharply as she hit the wall, clutching her heavily bleeding arm. Boss moved menacingly towards a trembling Kaoru.

"Now then, you poor, misguided woman. I will teach you the path of the sword… my path."

Kaoru glared at him, dusted by mud and dirt, her kimono tattered and torn. Still, a fierce fire blazed in her azure eyes, challenging him.

He drew his sword, and she mirrored him with a forgotten one she'd plucked off the ground. Theirs was a slow and deadly dance. He struck, teasing, testing, but she parried the blow, matching him stride for stride. But the back of her mind knew that she could not do this alone.

Kaoru caught movement from the corner of her eye. Thank the gods he had a thick skull. The sword felt heavy in her hands, perhaps with worry, fear, or guilt. She couldn't know.

A tawny eye searched the man's back, Battousai returning again. But this was something much different. The Wanderer and Manslayer stood together in this, with only the desire to protect the fierce young girl before them. One eye again blazed pure gold, the other softly glowing violet. Like water he slithered forward, blade swinging cleanly down. The larger one stumbled forward, but his anger was directed at Kaoru still. He sent a stinging slap across her face with the flat side of the sword he held. She collapsed against the wall next to Miyuu, the cut on her cheek dripping blood. Her head ached, vision blurred as she looked painfully at him.

The Sakabatou quivered slightly, raring to teach the other some… manners. Another assault was enough to draw Boss's attention from Kaoru. The swords clashed together, Kenshin finding an entire new strength in himself. The fight raged on, each managing to block the other. The advantage teetered back and forth. Both were losing stamina fast, but made for a final attack. The reverse-blade nicked the mustached man's shoulder, pushing him back, but his returning punch flung Kenshin against the bed. He moaned, pain pounding through his skull.

The darkness of a shadow fell over him, and he squinted into it. A sword was raised, but its path was interrupted.

"Hey!"

The several hundred pound cabinet sent the Boss into unconsciousness as the two girls shoved it at him. Guns, swords and ammunition poured from its open doors, raining down on the man. Kaoru clawed her way over to Kenshin, who was sitting up with a mildly amazed expression, both eyes returning to purple, glazed in their auric sheen.

"D-daijoubu, Kaoru-dono?"

She nodded heavily, slipping easily down next to him with a small smile.

"So… that's it? My life's mission has come to a close here. What do I do know?"

Kaoru smiled lightly at her, bright blue eyes looking tired, but alive nonetheless. "You'll find a path. Perhaps you should first find your sister."

Kenshin nodded his grave assent.

"You two really are something." Miyuu smiled slightly, red eyes softening. "I won't forget you."

"Good bye Miss Miyuzuko."

"Now, Battousai, how many times must I tell you to call me Miyuu?"

One last glance back, accompanied by a carefree smile and Miyuzuko was gone.

…

"In here!"

Yahiko, rushed in followed by an assortment of officers. All they found in the room was Kenshin and Kaoru, next to the incoherent Boss, who was babbling to himself.

The chaos and confusion ensuing lasted days. When they were finally free of the madness, Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko resolved to visit Sano, who had been camping out at the Clinic. They walked slowly along that path- happy, as they hadn't been in a long while. Yahiko was laughing as he chased a butterfly, then denied doing such a childish thing.

Kaoru clutched Miyuu's letter in her kimono, reciting it in her head again by memory.

Dear Battousai, Kaoru, Kid and Lummox 

_Thanks for your help in getting rid of my boss. I'm changing my name to stay out of trouble, and I don't intend to cause any more… for a while. I've managed to find my sister in Kyoto and Toshiki and I are looking at a nice dojo going out of business to revive our master's school. I guess I owe you all some thanks. Tell the kid and the lummox that they'll be fine. And Kaoru, Battousai… well, good luck. I hope our paths will cross again. Send any correspondences to Toshiki in Kyoto._

_Miyuzuko_

They entered to see Megumi and Sano fighting over some miscellaneous food item.

"TORI-ATAMA!" The screams of Megumi echoed before the two even came into sight. Kenshin chuckled and Kaoru cringed slightly at the following howl of Sano. The door was pushed back and Kenshin entered the room with his typical Rurouni smile. Megumi froze, halfway through punching Sano and smiled at Kenshin.

"Ah, Ken-san, I see you've mad it back. Ohohohohohohohohohoho!"

Kaoru pushed her way quickly between her friend and the rurouni, clearing her throat.

"So, how are you, Megumi-dono?"

"Quite alright Ken-san." She smiled. "Rooster head won't sit still long enough to let his wound heal. HEY!" Sano was eating whatever Megumi had been previously holding. She huffed angrily.

"Hey Ken-sin, Mishy." He greeted through a mouthful of food. Kaoru stifled a laugh.

"Anyway, the Rooster head will be back in a few hours."

"Ah, I'm fine now." Sano insisted. "She just wants me to stay a while more."

"Oh, I'd be happy to be rid of you now if it weren't part of my duty to keep you here!"

"Sly fox!"

"Stupid rooster!"

"Hey!"

Yahiko joined the fray of clawing, screaming flesh as they beat each other senseless. Kenshin and Kaoru escaped outside, where night was transitioning smoothly from day. She looked skyward, at the stars only beginning to fight through the sun's dying light.

"The others will catch up…" She suggested as she pushed off the wall and towards home. With a genuine smile, Kenshin followed her.

…

"I was… worried about you Kenshin…" He looked curiously at her.

"About _sessha_, Kaoru-dono?"

"Hai. When you left…" He shied away, feeling horribly guilty. Still, at the time it had seemed right. Without warning, she stopped and jumped at him, wrapping her frail arms around him. "I was so worried that you'd never come back… and I wouldn't get to tell you… and… and…" She muttered something else that even his elevated senses as they were couldn't catch it. He didn't do more than return that deep embrace. She buried herself in his chest in the middle of the deserted street.

"Shhh… everything's going to be alright Kaoru." He gently stroked her hair as she fought off the tears brought by everything. They still came. For a few minutes he simply held her like that, trapped in the eternity that he would have been more than happy to spend just like this. Composing herself, she drew back, apologizing quietly. Hesitantly grasping her hand, he walked again. The two reached the gate all too quickly. Sighing, he released her hand and looked at her. "I suppose I'll go draw you a bath and make some dinner."

He moved slowly towards the house just as Yahiko and Sano came up to the gate and headed inside for some food.

A blanket of petals lay lightly on the ground, set to flight by light summer breezes that carried the scent of sakura blossom. Raven hair swept across the pale plane of her face as she stood contently, looking off at nothing.

The sun lent its brilliant setting to the dojo wall, painting it orange, red and purple before fading into the velvet blue of early night.

"Kaoru-dono, are you coming?" She smiled in response and turned to nod.

"In a minute, Kenshin!"

"Hurry up, Missy, cause I'm hungry as hell!"

"Sanosuke, that's mine!"

"No way! I saw it first!"

"Did not!"

'Yet another ordinary day.' Her mind whispered. And she smiled.


End file.
